Hack19.Discover the Best Palm Games


Hack 19. Discover the Best Palm Games

You don't use a Palm the same way you do a desktop computer, and games are no exception. Find out what you can expect from the gaming offerings for your Palm.

For the most part, you are unlikely to spend two straight hours playing a game on your Palm. It is more likely that you will play games in five or ten minute increments. Thus, games in which you can quickly grasp the current state of the game are good, as are games in which you can make noticeable progress in a few minutes of play.

Games like bridge or Civilization don't work well on a Palm unless you can finish an entire game in one quick session because you need to remember a large amount of information in both of those games. Tetris is a good Palm game because there is nothing to rememberthe state of the game (i.e., the current pieces) is always visible. Tetris is a game that you can pick up and play for a few minutes, then set it aside and continue later.

Here are some games worth looking at, divided up into categories. This list is merely a small sample of the games available.

3.3.1. Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

Role-playing games put you in the role of one or more characters in a story. Typically RPGs have a fantasy theme, but there are space and detective themed RPGs as well.

3.3.1.1. Ultima.

The Ultima series (1, 2, and 3) is a remake (http://www.palmgear.com) of the original RPGs that improves on the originals. The originals only used 16 colors for the graphics. In this remake, the graphics have been redrawn in 256 colors, as you can see in Figure 3-9.

3.3.1.2. Acedior.

Acedior (http://www.fade-team.com/content.php?content.13) is a graphical RPG (see Figure 3-10) based on the real-life disappearance of 16 monks in the fourteenth century. The game is a fictional interpretation of this history.

Figure 3-9. Speaking with Lord British in Ultima


Figure 3-10. Starting screen in Acedior


3.3.1.3. Strange Adventures in Infinite Space.

Strange Adventures in Infinite Space (http://www.astraware.com) is a port to the Palm OS of a Windows game. You can play an entire game in 15 minutes, so it makes a good fit for a Palm device. The idea is to explore the stars in the randomly-generated galaxy. The items you find and aliens you meet (and occasionally destroy) form the basis of the game.

3.3.1.4. Legacy.

Legacy (http://www.redshift.hu) is a 3D graphical RPG, as you can see in Figure 3-11. It is another original RPG designed for the Palm. You can have a party of up to four characters to explore the world. Characters can be one of a number of classes. The graphics are fairly realistic, especially given the limitations of the Palm platform.

3.3.1.5. Space Trader.

In this game (http://sourceforge.net/projects/palmtrader/), you get to explore the galaxy as a space trader. You can also become a pirate and hunt other traders or a vigilante hunting down pirates. In any case, you will go through a variety of spaceships and accessories. No matter which path you choose, you will still be buying (or stealing) and selling goods. You can see an example from the game in Figure 3-12.

Figure 3-11. Legacy, exploring town


Figure 3-12. Short-range map in Space Trader


3.3.1.6. Kyle's Quest.

Kyle's Quest (http://www.crimsonfire.com/kq2/) is a typical third-person RPG, as you can see in Figure 3-13. It comes with a map editor which has enabled other people to create maps (many are available for download from the Kyle's Quest web site). It is very popular, so there are plenty of add-on maps for it.

3.3.2. Strategy

There is no shortage of strategy games for the Palm. Whether you're playing a classic board game or a more complicated title, these are a great way to get your game on.

3.3.2.1. Chess (various).

Chess (see Figure 3-14) works because you can play an entire game in a few minutes, but you can play a longer game if you have the time. There are a number of different chess games available and even some chess variants. Try several of them to see if any fit you.

Figure 3-13. Kyle's Quest


Figure 3-14. Sample chess game


3.3.2.2. Strategic Commander.

Strategic Commander (http://www.zindaware.com) is a resource gathering, spaceship building, and galaxy conquering game (see Figure 3-15). You try to balance between producing ships, building factories and research labs, colonizing new planets, and fighting enemy ships and taking over enemy planets. It is turn-based, so you can make some moves and come back to the game later.

Figure 3-15. Strategic Commander, map view


3.3.2.3. SimCity.

SimCity is the classic simulation game (http://www.ateliersoftware.com/palm/scc.html). This version doesn't work with Palm OS 5, but if you have an earlier machine it works fine. This is the official port of the desktop game. There is also an open-source version called PocketCity (http://pocketcity.sourceforge.net/) which works with Palm OS 5, but it is still in an early stage.

3.3.3. Puzzle Games

Puzzle games are quick and easy to get into, and the stylus makes for an interesting escape from the usual button-mashing you find on other systems.

3.3.3.1. Tetris.

Tetris (http://www.handmark.com) is probably the best-known puzzle game. In Tetris, the object is to drop various shaped blocks to fill up a row. Every time you fill a row, that row is cleared. You have to avoid having a block get stuck at the top, on top of other blocks. Tetris is a great game for a Palm device because you can always see where you are with the game, as you can see in Figure 3-16.

Figure 3-16. Tetris


3.3.3.2. Bejeweled.

Bejeweled (http://www.astraware.com) is a Palm OS original. It is as addictive as Tetris without having quite the same twitch component. Bejeweled has a bit more thinking and strategy than Tetris.

3.3.3.3. Vexed.

Vexed (Figure 3-17) is an open-source puzzle game (http://vexed.sourceforge.net). In this game, you try to eliminate blocks by moving them next to a matching block. There are multiple levels with different challenges.

You can also play classic games [Hack #21] with emulators or remakes. Other entertainment choices include watching videos [Hack #28] and listening to music [Hack #25].

Figure 3-17. Starting level in Vexed





Palm and Treo Hacks
Palm and Treo Hacks: Tips & Tools for Mastering Your Handheld
ISBN: 059610054X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 115

flylib.com © 2008-2017.
If you may any questions please contact us: flylib@qtcs.net